Reports say Russia’s entire northern fleet, a total of eight warships including an aircraft carrier, is on its way to Syria in the country’s largest deployment since the end of the cold war.
It’s expected the fleet will pass through the Dover Strait with the U.K. closely watching as they sail on to the Mediterranean and then Syria, where it’s believed the flotilla is about to be part of a much bigger naval effort to reinforce Russia’s campaign to support the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
Russia knows that access and operations in the Mediterranean Sea are critical for a world naval presence and they are fully committed to supporting retention of their Syrian bases. And the U.S. disengagement in the region and so-called pivot to Asia has been seen as an opportunity for Russia with the Mediterranean Sea made a priority for the Russian Navy.
Russia’s northern fleet will join there with warships already stationed where Russian Sputnik news agency said it would bring their naval presence to about 20 warships. Russia continues to increase it’s presence and military operations in the Middle East with unrelenting focus on gaining the upper-hand in Syria.